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BlackthornForge

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Everything posted by BlackthornForge

  1. BlackthornForge
    Hey all, Posted this in the blacksmithing critique section but I think it may be better suited here. The knife is a large Scottish dirk that I made a while back. The handle is made from some kind of antler (either small elk or huge deer), with Scottish yew wood and nickel silver accents. The tip got boogered up when I dropped it in a parking lot, so ideas on fixing that are welcome. I think the first picture makes it look a bit bent, but it seems pretty straight in person. All critique and advice is welcome!
  2. BlackthornForge
    This is a traditional Scottish Dirk with an antler handle. The blade is made from 440c stainless and has a mirror finish. It has Scottish Yew and nickel silver accents. The tip got boogered up because I dropped it in a parking lot, so I'm aware of that issue already. Thinking of carving an inset in the antler axis for a pewter clan badge. Also it's not actually bent, as the first picture suggests. Hope you can see in the other pictures that it's straight.
  3. BlackthornForge
    J.w.s, can you elaborate a bit more on the "sloppy" comment? Are you specifically talking about the finish and scratches or is there more to it? Not offended or anything-I want honest and brutal feedback. Also what can I do on future projects to fix "sloppy?"
  4. BlackthornForge
    Thanks for the advice. I had a feeling the minor things might kill this one. I rather like the modern-historic crossover so maybe I'll just keep this one both as a personal favorite, and a reminder about how important the small stuff can be in our art. I really like the input you guys had for me, and I think most of the critique was stuff I had identified too. It's definitely good to get an outside perspective. Thanks again!
  5. BlackthornForge
    Hello, I need help with pricing this knife. I was asking $800 but I think I may be way overshooting the value of the knife. 440c Stainless steel Nickel silver bolster and pommel Mammoth tooth handle Roughly 10-15 hours of work. Material cost and heat treat was around $300, and I usually ask $20/hour for labor, which brings me to $600-$800 for the knife. I know there are some minor imperfections in the blade and accents, but I don't know that they drive value down a whole lot so I'm looking for some pricing advice. Did I waste my money/time/effort by putting a mammoth tooth handle on a 440c blade? Am I even in the right ballpark with pricing at $800? If I'm in the right price range, what can I do to move this thing? If not, where should I be? Thanks in advance. Sorry if this is the wrong board for this post.
  6. BlackthornForge
    I'm looking at making a quillon dagger to the specifications of the ABS Master Smith certification (which brings up a whole can of worms that I don't want to get into on this post). I was looking at pictures of WIP online and noticed that a few of them had a step down kind of thing going on with the tang. Is there a reason for this? I've been making knives for years and haven't seen this technique used. Maybe I'm just living under a rock!
  7. BlackthornForge
    This is awesome! I made spikes from 1/2 inch square but this will work much better!
  8. BlackthornForge
    I hadn't thought about using copper, Frosty. Good idea! Still I might just stick with Charles' advice to send it out. JWS, xxxxxx that's a neat piece. I won't be doing production runs, most likely, so building something like you guys had is way more than I need, but wow!!!
  9. BlackthornForge
    Hello, and greetings from Greeley Colorado! My name's Ryan, and I've been making knives for about 13 years using purely stock removal methods, but got into blacksmithing about 6 years ago and learned most of what I know from reading books and experimentation. I'd love to get involved with a group of other knifemakers and/or smiths in the area for a hammer-in or just to work on some projects together. I like teaching what I know, as well as learning from more experienced hands so whether you're a "newbie" looking to learn from someone who's walked that road, or an old hat willing to share your knowledge, I'd love to meet up and beat some steel!
  10. BlackthornForge
    That's painful... the horn on that last one looks like an alligator nose. And what's with the "pritchel" right at the anvil shelf??
  11. BlackthornForge
    I've been making knives using stock removal for about 13 years and got into real smithing about 6 years ago, so I've got a good base as far as technique goes but I've never made anything longer than a machete. All the tips you have been giving me are great!
  12. BlackthornForge
    Definitely didn't realize a hand forged great sword would run 3 grand!! I'm using 5160, so it would probably be better to send it out. Sigh. One day I'll get a proper heat treat setup.
  13. BlackthornForge
    Thank you all for the advice! Basically what I'm hearing is: 5' is probably enough, I should build an oven not a forge, and it may be better to send it out. LastRonin: I haven't considered electric because I don't have access to good circuitry and I'm concerned about blowing fuses. Charles: do you have any good leads on inexpensive heat treat for big pieces? The only place I know of costs $200 plus shipping there and back, which would be another $100 for the great sword I'm building.
  14. BlackthornForge
    Hi, I'm looking to build a 72 inch vertical forge with minimal volume. Does anyone have any advice on design? My basic plan is to use a steel pipe (8 inch diameter) lined with 2 inches of Kaowool. This will provide a 4 inch diameter mouth that runs the length of the pipe, which will give me enough room to hang longer pieces for a heat treat soak. I'm not looking for forging heat, but definitely need to get thicker steel to critical temperature for heat treat. I'm thinking about using a 3-burner system, evenly spaced along the length of the pipe to try to keep my heat even but I'm concerned that I'll end up with nasty hot spots around the burners. Is there a way to even out the heat better? Is 2 inches of Kaowool enough to provide efficient operation? Any and all advice is welcome! Thanks!
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